Self-contained envelope opening strip

ABSTRACT

A mailing envelope having self-contained opening means comprising at least one row of perforations extending through the front face, the end flaps and the closure flap. The perforations extend along the top marginal edge of the envelope closely adjacent the fold line which forms the closure flap, and terminate in a pull tab formed along a line cut inwardly from one end of the envelope.

United States Patent Christiansen et al.

I451 Mar. 21, 1972 54] SELF-CONTAINED ENVELOPE 2,227,679 1/1941 Swift ..229/4s.5 ux OPENING STRIP 2,549,199 4/1951 Hodska.... ..229/85 X 1,888,313 11/1932 Fiorenza... ..229/85 Inventors: Daryl Qhnshansen, Salem, P s mli 2,215,989 9/1940 Wolf ..229/4s.5 ux Christians", 1081 Rlver Road, 2,310,371 2/1943 Lines et al. ..229/85 Sweet Home, Oreg- 97386 3,318,510 5/1967 Quarles et all ..229/ss 73 A d .R.Chiti b id D.R. 1 sslgnee zg g r s ansen y 58 Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Assistant Examiner-Michael Y. Mar [22] Flled: Fe I 1 7 Attorney-James D. Givnan 211 Appl. No.: 12,261 [57] ABSTRACT [52] Us Cl 22" 229/85 A mailing envelope having self-contained opening means [51 1 27/34 comprising at least one row of perforations extending through 58] Fieid 4s 5 86 81 the front face, the end flaps and the closure flap. The perforations extend along the top marginal edge of the envelope 5 6] References Cited closely adjacent the fold line which forms the closure flap, and terminate in a pull tab formed along a line cut inwardly from UNITED STATES PATENTS 9119 end of the envelope- 1,720,721 7/1929 Culotta .;...229/85 1 Claims,4Drawing Figures ,3 "ow-men...-Jun-"sn...-K IIIIOIBOIIDIQQCOIOOO 2 I s I I I I I I II I I SELF-CONTAINED ENVELOPE OPENING STRIP The principal objects of the invention are:

to provide envelope opening means as above described, wherein a pull tab section is defined by providing a weakened or severed end portion of the line of perforations;

to provide an opener of the character described which may be applied to envelopes of any size or design and to any one of the several edges thereof, but preferably applied to the top marginal edge of the envelope superjacent' the fold line of demarcation between the front face of the envelope and the closure flap.

The foregoing, and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of the disclosure, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereofand in which:

FIG. I is a rear elevational view of a mailing envelope made in accordance with our invention with the closure flap partially open for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 2 isa fragmentary sectional view of an enlarged scale taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a modified form of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

With continuing reference to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, numerals l and 2 indicate respectively the front and rear panels of the envelope, 3 and 4 the end flaps, and 5 the closure flap.

The bottom marginal portion 6 of the closure flap is provided with an adhesive for sealing securement to a similar adhesive 7 along the top marginal portion of the rear panel 2.

That portion of the closure flap 5, the front panel 1 and the end flaps 3 and 4 are perforated along two parallel lines as indicated at 8.

A pull tab 12 is formed by severing one end of the envelope inwardly, as at 13-14, in alignment with the perforations 8:

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 3 those portions above the adhesive margin of the rear panel 2A are provided with a single line of perforations 11. Here, as in FIG. 1, a similar pull tab 12A is provided by severing one end of the envelope inwardly along a single line 15 in alignment with the perforations 11.

It will be readily understood that, in either form of the invention, the rear panel 2 or 2A may be vertically coextensive with the front panel 1 and the full width of the closure flap may be provided with an adhesive through which the single or double lines of perforations can be made.

To open either form of envelope herein shown and described, it is merely necessary to grasp the pull tab and exert a pull thereon along the top of the envelope which will cause severance and removal of the strip between the two lines of perforations 8 in FIG. I or the strip between the line of perforations 11 and the top edge of the envelope as shown in FIG. 3.

A person receiving one of these envelopes sealed in accordance with this invention will notice the pull-tab conspicuous from either face and the line or lines of perforations extending entirely across the top of the envelope, which will readily suggest the obvious manner of opening the envelope.

What we claim is:

1. An envelope comprising a single sheet of material folded along lines defining a front panel formed integral with a rear panel and integral with end flaps and with a closure flap,

the top external marginal edge of said rear panel having a strip of adhesive therealong,

said front panel extending above the top edge of said rear panel and said closure flap being foldable downwardly thereover toward said adhesive along the top edge of said rear panel,

the free marginal portion of said closure flap having a strip of adhesive therealong for sealing engagement with said first mentioned strip along the top marginal edge of said rear panel thereby eavmg a nonadhesive space between said rear panel and said closure flap above their respective strips of adhesive, said nonadhesive space having parallel lines of perforations therealong, and said lines of perforations severed inwardly from one of their ends to form a free pull-tab between said lines. 

1. An envelope comprising a single sheet of material folded along lines defining a front panel formed integral with a rear panel and integral with end flaps and with a closure flap, the top external marginal edge of said rear panel having a strip of adhesive therealong, said front panel extending above the top edge of said rear panel and said closure flap being foldable downwardly thereover toward said adhesive along the top edge of said rear panel, the free marginal portion of said closure flap having a strip of adhesive therealong for sealing engagement with said first mentioned strip along the top marginal edge of said rear panel thereby leaving a nonadhesive space between said rear panel and said closure flap above their respective strips of adhesive, said nonadhesive space having parallel lines of perforations therealong, and said lines of perforations severed inwardly from one of their ends to form a free pull-tab between said lines. 